Making sense of the assistance available is confusing and always changing. Here are some resources to help get you started.

We are here to help

A new diagnosis of autism (or any neuro-developmental disorder) is a challenge in and of itself. Add to that, very few things are more confusing (and, let's face it, frustrating) than trying to determine what support is available and how to access it. Here are a few resources and links that we hope will help. We will do our best to help keep this current as possible. Parents, please send us an email if you have found a resource valuable and think it should be added to the list.

state agencies

Project ASSIST serves as a central resource directory for Nevada early intervention. From their website: "The purpose of Project ASSIST is to provide information, resources, and referral services to inform and educate families of infants and toddlers with disabilities or special health care needs, and the general public. "

From their website: "Autism Treatment Assistance Program (ATAP) was created to assist parents and caregivers with the expensive cost of providing Autism-specific treatments to their child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)."

Click the link above or call the Aging and Disability Services Division Administrative Office at 775-687-4210 for more information about ATAP.

State Law

This probably won't be step 1 and can be very intimidating, but it is very important to know and understand that Nevada is a state with laws regulating both insurance coverage of evidence based treatment for autism (ABA) as well as the practice of behavior analysts. Below is a link to the full text of the most recent legislation SB286. This legislation is still very new and we will work to update this page with additional relevant resources.

Additional Resources

The JUSTin HOPE Foundation is a great local resource for Northern Nevadans. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to helping families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neuro-developmental disabilities. They offer a variety of programs including support groups, workshops, sibling workshops, and respite care. They also maintain a list of additional local resources.

Autism Speaks has a wealth of resources for parents, including guidance on finding local providers and toolkits designed to help walk parents through next steps in the first 100 days after receiving a diagnosis.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) is the credentialing body for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). They have a certificant registry that can be helpful both in identifying credentialed providers in your area and verifying credentials of behavior analysts, assistant behavior analysts, and behavior technicians to determine whether they are board certified. Additionally, you can file complaints with the Board if you have legal or ethical concerns about a provider.